Collapsible seats



April 4, 1967' J. PENN 3,312,501

COLLAPSIBLE SEATS Filed Dec. 15, 1965 United States Patent Ofifice 3,312,501 Patented Apr. 4, 1961 3,312,501 COLLAPSIBLE SEATS John Penn, Little Haddon Hall, Woodbridge, Suffolk, England Filed Dec. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 513,348 4 Claims. (Cl. 29742) The present invention relates to collapsible seats.

An object of the invention is to provide a collapsible chair or stool which is comfortable, inexpensive to produce and occupies little space in its collapsed condition.

Another object of the invention is to provide a collapsible chair or stool which is extremely rigid and will adapt itself to uneven ground without any instability.

A further object of the invention is to provide a collapsible chair or stool in which the seating angle may be readily adjusted.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the seat according to the present invention shown in assembled condition and FIG. 2 is of a perspective view of the seat shown in collapsed condition.

In carrying the invention into effect according to one convenient mode by way of example, a chair comprises two side members 10, 11, each of which includes two leg members 12, 13, arranged to form an X-like structure with the upper ends of the legs 12, 13, pivotally connected at 14, to the ends of an arm-rest member 15 positioned on the inner surface of the leg members 12, 13. A cross member 16 positioned below and substantially parallel to the arm-rest 15 is also pivotally connected at 17 to the outer surface of the leg members 12, 13.

A back-rest member 18 having a bolster 19 mounted thereon has its ends respectively releasably mounted adjacent the ends of the arm rests 15 which are connected to the legs 12.

The cross members 16 constitute the supports for the seat portion 20 which is made from a flexible material such as canvas, the ends of which are connected together on the underside of the seat 20 by a cord (not shown) laced through a series of eyelets positioned adjacent the edges of the canvas. Alternatively, the seat 20 may be connected adjacent its ends to the cross members as shown in FIG. 2.

When assembled, each leg member 12, 13, is directed downwardly and inwardly towards the opposite diagonal corner of the chair so that all the legs converge towards one another and cross over at a position below, but in the centre of the seat area 20. The legs 12, 13, are retained in this position by a chain member 21 which encircles all the legs adjacent their cross-over position.

The seating angle may be readily adjusted by shaking the chair bodily so that the legs 12, 13 assume a position relatively to one another which provides the required seating position. The weight of the person occupying the chair retains or locks the legs 12, 13, in this position by forcing them into tight engagement with the encircling chain member 21, l

When it is desired to collapse the chair it is onl necessary to release one end of the back rest 18 from it assoicated arm rest 15, slide the bolster 19 from th back rest 18 and then swing the latter through ninetj degrees so that it lies adjacent the arm rest to which i is still connected, whereupon the side members 10, 11 can be drawn together to collapse the chair, the chai: member 21 maintaining the legs in their X-formation.

Alternatively, the back rest 18 may be removed com pletely from the arm-rests 15 and accommodated in th seat portion 20 as shown in FIG. 2.

The legs 12, 13, arm-rests 15, cross members 16 an back rest 18 may be made from hardwood rods of an suitable cross-section or from tubular metal alloy. Prei erably, the bolster 19 is formed from polyurethane foam It will be appreciated that the arm rest 15 and bacI rest 18 may be dispensed with to provide a stool.

I claim:

1. A collapsible seat which, in its assembled conditior comprises a pair of spaced side members, a flexible seat forming web, interconnecting said side members, a pair 0 leg members arranged in X-formation pivotally connecte to an arm-rest member and side member, each leg mem ber being downwardly and inwardly directed towards th opposite diagonal corner of the seat so that all the leg converge towards one another and cross at a positio: below the seating area, a back-rest member releasabl interconnecting said arm rests and means encircling an retaining said legs in their X-formation adjacent the cross over position, the arrangement being such that the sea may be collapsed by releasing said back-rest from at leas one of said arm rests and then bringing said side mem bers together.

2. A collapsible seat as claimed in claim 1, wherei: said seat-forming web is connected to a cross membe positioned below and substantially parallel to each arr rest.

3. A collapsible seat as claimed in claim 1, wherei: said back-rest member has a bolster mounted thereor 4. A collapsible seat as claimed in claim 1, wherei said means encircling the legs comprises a chain.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 184,721 11/1876 Moore 10811 1,027,692 5/1912 Cole 2974 1,481,521 1/1924 Marsh 2975 1,876,400 9/1932 Cederquist 10811 2,278,568 4/ 1942 Segre 2974 2,690,792 10/1954 Moss 297-4 2,713,529 7/1955 Herrschaft 24843 2,733,754 2/1956 Leslie et al 297-4- 3,071,409 1/ 1963 Gibson et al 2974.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

FRANCIS K. ZUGEL, Examiner, 

1. A COLLAPSIBLE SEAT WHICH, IN ITS ASSEMBLED CONDITION, COMPRISES A PAIR OF SPACED SIDE MEMBERS, A FLEXIBLE SEATFORMING WEB, INTERCONNECTING SAID SIDE MEMBERS, A PAIR OF LEG MEMBERS ARRANGED IN X-FORMATION PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO AN ARM-REST MEMBER AND SIDE MEMBER, EACH LEG MEMBER BEING DOWNWARDLY AND INWARDLY DIRECTED TOWARDS THE OPPOSITE DIAGONAL CORNER OF THE SEAT SO THAT ALL THE LEGS CONVERGE TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER AND CROSS AT A POSITION BELOW THE SEATING AREA, A BACK-REST MEMBER RELEASABLY INTERCONNECTING SAID ARM RESTS AND MEANS ENCIRCLING AND RETAINING SAID LEGS IN THEIR X-FORMATION ADJACENT THE CROSSOVER POSITION, THE ARRANGEMENT BEING SUCH THAT THE SEAT MAY BE COLLAPSED BY RELESING SAID BACK-REST FROM AT LEAST ONE OF SAID ARM RESTS AND THEN BRINGING SAID SIDE MEMBERS TOGETHER. 